How productive are you? We all know that frustrating feeling of being “busy” and not getting anything done. Productivity is not so much about how much you get done but rather about how well you use your time. Time is a precious commodity and you have a limited amount of it every day. How you use every minute of your day determines the quality of your life. By being more productive you can have a much more balanced life because it allows you to use your time better.

Increasing your productivity is not so much about using will power as it is about having a good strategy. You need to find ways to focus on what’s most important in your life and to focus your energy on that. This is where true fulfillment lies.

Although there are many ways to manage your time and to boost your productivity and performance, there is a simple little technique that works every time. I encourage you to start using it – and to use it daily.

What this technique involves is a 5 minute exercise every day that helps you focus on those areas in your life that needs your energy, your time and your focus.

Start by writing down what you wish to accomplish this year.

Then write down what you wish to accomplish this month.

Then write down what you wish to accomplish this week.

Then write down what you wish to accomplish today.

By starting with the bigger picture it helps you to focus on the bigger goal. By breaking it down to smaller pieces you get to those critical action steps that will help you to do today what will eventually lead you to your most important goals. Its important to keep this simple. If you get in the habit of doing this every day you will soon realize that it helps you to stay very focused and helps you to block out so much of the distractions that causes you to lose sight of your biggest goals.

Positive procrastination is virtually unknown because the opposite, negative procrastination, has got such a bad name. This is where we allow all sorts of forces to stop us doing what we are supposed to be doing. It is the reason why we keep putting things off and deferring jobs. On the other hand, positive procrastination, as its name describes, is a valuable productivity skill. This is a deliberate activity that involves planning and scheduling your time for your own use. It is also choosing to avoid a lot of reactive activities that you would normally carry out.

Positive procrastination occurs when you put off things that will not advance your progress to your goal target by being done today. It is also the planned and deliberate award of time to yourself on a regular basis. You can do anything you like in this time and that includes not doing anything if that is what you choose. It is a time for thinking. It’s learning to leave things that don’t really need to be done and focus on yourself so that you can bring some balance and cohesion into your life. Many of those have been brought up to understand that doing nothing is wasteful. So much so, that we are beginning to lose the ability to sit down, focus on a topic or subject and actually think and this is draining our productivity.

We must pay attention to health, relaxation and creativity as well as having fun. We need the opportunity to get away from the commercialism, urgency, making a quick dollar and that feeling that if we can’t slow down because we might miss an opportunity. To put it in perspective, you have to be acutely aware that 80% of your success is probably derived from 20% of your effort. This means that with positive creativity, you can create the space and time to focus on those activities that actually make a difference and lift your productivity.

You will become what you focus on. If you want to focus on being positive, you will become positive. On the other hand, if you want to focus on negativity, you will become negative. If you focus on “busy work ” you will be meticulous with details and useless information. The only way you’re going to get to develop well enough so that you can easily rise to new levels of achievement, is to focus on the major tasks rather than the trivia.

Now that you understand the positive procrastination you can use this knowledge to your advantage. Take time out to think about what you’re doing. Clearly identify the 20% of your effort that produces 80% of the results. Think about how you could do more of that 20%. Learn to improve your concentration and focus. Don’t get distracted by trivia. If you can focus and concentrate on a significant task until it is finished, you can’t help but being successful.

Your bridesmaids deserve your thanks and appreciation, that is why you want to buy gifts for them. Your choice of giving them gifts is not only because you want to compensate their hard work and involvement in planning your wedding, but also simply because they are dear to you. Your bridesmaids may be your friends, sisters or cousins. They are priceless people close to your heart. However sometimes, honoring these people takes something that more than words can say. By presenting heart-felt gifts to your wedding attendants, it simply shows that you care about them.

Finding and purchasing bridesmaids gifts can be a bit difficult sometimes, especially if you don’t know where and what to buy for the girls. Make a plan for the bridesmaids gifts well in advance. It is better to be advance than late. Bridesmaids gifts should not cause you stress. You have to enjoy your shopping as it will really show onto the gifts you have purchased. Before you go to your shopping mall, your budget should be ready as well as your list of choices. One smart tip: Do not buy yet, just hunt for a while and then compare prices. After which, you can easily narrow down your list of gifts for your bridesmaids.

A perfect place to look for a wide array of bridesmaids gifts is actually at home. Yes, at home where you can sit down in front your computer and surf the net. The birth of the Internet has provided us easy and quick access to the things we want to buy. Shopping bridesmaids gifts has never been more easy without the Internet. Most brides and grooms nowadays opt to shop online than shopping conventionally. Unlike local dealers, online stores can cater various demands when it comes to bridesmaids gifts. Aside from immeasurable options to choose from, you can also find plenty of personalized ideas that you may consider.

Online shopping of gifts for bridesmaids won’t take so much time. In fact, at the comfort of your home, any time of the day, you are free to browse the Internet and place your order any time you want. There are lots of websites to visit on. Go to websites that offer various wedding gifts, including items for bridesmaids, maid of honor, groomsmen, best man, flower girl, ring bearer and of course gifts for the couple.

Go personalized when it comes to bridesmaids gifts. There is nothing that can beat personalized bridesmaids gifts. Your attendants will surely love to see their names, initials or even photos on the presents you have provided to them. When you choose any personalized gift, make sure that it fits to your bridesmaid. Remember, each of them may have different likes and tastes. When you choose gifts, choose only the things that suit best their personalities. Among the most popular bridesmaids gifts that can be personalized are tote bags, perfumer bottles, compact mirrors, party shirts, bath robes, picture frames, jewelry, cosmetic bags, jewelry boxes and a lot more.

There is an old joke about the technique to use when dining on an elephant. If you manage a business, supervise a group or team, you are probably dealing with an overwhelming and overflowing in-box, multiple projects, and a series of last-minute surprises and you’ve asked the question, “How do you eat an elephant?”

Everyone who manages any facet of a business or institution is faced with elephants. Elephants are the massive tasks and challenges we encounter, seemingly every day (or the astonishing number of tasks and details that somehow lands on your desk):

Delegate as many tasks as possible to people who have the skills and the time to do them correctly and on time (and if they are dealing with elephants themselves, help them by showing them this list). NOTE: create deadlines or you will have even more stuff on your list.

Develop a time-line – blend the time needed and the time allotted with checkpoints to insure adherence to the timetable.

Break the project into digestible, manageable, and tasty chunks.

Get started on task #1 and continue to move forward.

Revise and reprioritize the list as new tasks arrive

If you don’t take this methodical approach then every day is chaos, constantly behind and out of breath with a result that some tasks either don’t get done at all or they get finished in a sloppy, low-quality manner which means that they will show up on your desk again to be done or redone which means you’ve wasted the time and effort the first time which produces more chaos, more angst, more overwhelm. Better to get on with eating the elephant.

When the task is an elephant (and aren’t they all?) break that big guy into manageable parts that are focused towards a timely result. In other words, “One Bite at A Time!”